Should Teachers be Performers?

• What makes a great teacher? 
• Is it enough for a teacher to simply know, and be able to communicate effectively, a lot of content? 
• Or, Should our best teachers be great performers?   

NPR has taken on this debate with this story about teaching's correlation to performance.
Please listen to it here. 

Full disclosure: I am a self-confessed performer-teacher.  I was most inspired to be a teacher by some of my own teachers, most of whom were amazing performers.  I was lucky enough to have teachers who had a passion for their subject and their craft.  Plus, they were funny,and made me laugh a lot.  These teachers also deeply cared about me, and I wanted to do well for them.

But Dead Poets Society was also my favorite movie during my teen years - and the hilarious performance of Robin William's Mr. Keating made me want to try my hand at it.  And my background is less academic, and way more performance.  I was always an OK student - who mostly did well in subjects that I loved, yet slacked off if I did not care. Instead, I spent most of my youth performing in punk rock bands, and in school plays.  I loved the stage, and teaching absolutely scratches that itch for me.

On my best days, I feel that I use my performance to instill curiosity and buy-in from my students.  In many ways - I am using comedy, music, and laughter to actively sell the study of history as something to believe in.  I teach public school, so my students are not choosing to be in my classroom.  But to really engage them, I need them to believe in what we do, ie: I can not serve the students until they come to the table, so my performance is sometimes a way to make the table seem appealing.  Once we are gathered around that table together - I am better able to engage and instruct.

But does my history in performance make me a better teacher?  Or just it just make me an entertainer?  Can I be both?  And if performance is a key to great teaching - how do we recruit these performers to our profession?

I encourage you, dear readers to post your thoughts on your best teachers in the comments section.  In your experience, what made your best teachers..your best teachers?

The Middle Ages {in 3 1/2 minutes}

We are currently finishing up our study of the Middle Ages in WHAP. One of the most challenging elements of teaching world history is to take extremely complicated events/causes/comparisons, and break the concepts down to something more understandable and relate-able.  It is especially tricky to do this without simply being reductionist, without true analysis.
All of that being said, sometimes a video using art and animation can accomplish this very feat.
 I recently came across this video.
 It. Is. Amazing.

WHAP Architecture Project {Video Version}

I have been requiring my students to use our city of Asheville to complete an architecture project for almost ten years now.  Being the home of both a hefty dose of classical architecture, as well as art deco - it seems crazy to teach the importance of this without nudging the kids to go see it, feel it, and document it for themselves.

So, in 2005, a completed project consisted of poster board and typed papers.  But as our access/ability to use iphones and digital media has progressed, so have the possibilities for the architecture project. Two fantastic students used the project to make a short film of Asheville's architecture, as well as grabbing some extra credit points for local flavor.  They made us proud.  Enjoy!!

Mandala {UNCA}

Some times in this teaching job, we just get lucky.  In example, we covered the basic tenants and history of Buddhism over the last few weeks - spending time on the differences between Theraveda and Mahayana. We watched videos and discussed the role of Tibetan Buddhism, and some of its more unique traditions, including the creation of sand mandalas. 

So it was with great excitement when I found out that a group of Tibetan Buddhist monks were to be at UNCA (our local university), making a sand mandala.  With short notice, we were unable to make it a class field trip - but I floated the promise of big time extra credit for any student who traveled to UNCA, and took a selfie with this mandala.  

Most of the students in my AP World History took me up on the offer, and seemed to get a lot out of it (or maybe they just told me that...).  Many of the parents (and siblings) of my students were roped into this as well, which was a nice unintended effect, as most spoke positively about the unique experience.  

I took my family there, and my kids were pretty amazed, and though I have seen this tradition in action before - I still found it awe inspiring.  We are lucky to have the opportunity to see these monks at work on a mandala, a tradition that is much bigger than we are.

Use Class time {to Sing Songs}

4th period AP World History || Enjoying their class time

There are so many studies out there showing that music can assist in our ability to learn that is is ridiculous.  I have used music in my history classroom since day one back in January 2000.  Initially, I just played music in class because it is so much a love and passion of mine - not to mention that before teaching, I had spent most of the previous four years playing in bands.  So, music was an important part of my life, and thus merged seamlessly into my teaching.  It wasn't until much later that I realized how much of a positive impact the music was having in my classroom.

The Chinese Dynasty song is something that we have been doing in my class for almost ten years.  It takes all of the major dynasties in the history of China, and sings them (in chronological order) to the tune of "Are You Sleeping."  I did not create this song, and I do not remember where I learned it - but it is common among AP World History teachers.   Again,
I spent most of my pre-teaching life playing guitar - so I always accompany my students as they learn to sing this song.  And over time, the singing of this song has come to take on a life of its own.

Every year - when it comes time to sing this song, most of the students start out sheepishly, and find it difficult to sit at their desks and sing.  I model it for them, typically playing the song through 2-3 times, but it takes time to build a level of comfort.  They hardly sing, or if they do it is a whisper.  But after we screw it up together (which always happens), and then add our own ideas to it, they most often dive in.

At the very least - the Dynasty song is a parlor trick way of teaching students how to memorize the dynasties.  But I have found that it also brings us closer together, and pays huge dividends for later in the class.  The students learn to edge out of their comfort zones by singing this song, and breaking that barrier enables the class to find more meaning in many of the activities/experiences in which we will engage throughout the school year. It is a team building activity more than anything else, and one that brings more joy and understanding to our class.  And that makes it worth every minute of class time.

The Foremost Task of Education

"I regard it as the foremost task of education to insure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self denial, and above all, compassion." - Kurt Hahn

My family and I have had a memorable summer.  From road tripping - to waterfalls - to funerals - we have logged many meaningful experiences.  But now I am excited about the new school year.  I am so ready to meet my new students, and get to know them, and their families.  Mostly, I am excited about the possibilities that come along with all of these new people who are about to enter my life.  I have said it before, but there is simply no substitute for the energy of the first day of school.  

And I am especially excited this year, as my youngest child is starting Kindergarten.  His adventure in public education is just beginning, and I love to see his beginning with new eyes.  It especially helps renew my fire for education. 

For me, getting the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussion about the history of humans is about as good as it gets.  And I am chomping at the bit to dive in.  But that is not my primary goal. As the above quote best illustrates - it is my foremost task that my students (and I) will become more compassionate, spirited, and curious people as a result of our knowing, and learning, with one another.

So... Lets. Do. This.

Small Classes {What if They Are Not So Great?}

Recently, I read Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath- a book that studies how underdogs achieve. I enjoyed it, but was particularly struck by his chapter that focused on class size.

According to his collection of research, the relationship between class size and student achievement is actually an inverted U curve (below).  That in reality, classes that perform poorly are (most often) either too big, or too small.

So, there is a sweet spot - and that does not surprise me.  From my personal experience, the perfect class size is anywhere from 18 to 26 students.  Anything less, and it is challenging to create critical mass movements, especially when the class does not include many peers.  Happy students are the best students, so classes work better when students are surrounded by (and inspired by) their peer groups. Small classes make that very scenario less likely.  Of course, in classes that are larger than 26,  personal relationships are almost impossible to cultivate.

I am looking forward to (hopefully) teaching classes this upcoming year that are not tiny - but right in the sweet spot.